sub39h

Agreed - I'm in the market for a Class 90 but wouldn't touch Hornby's offering with a bargepole. If Bachmann were to announce they were releasing a Class 90 the laws of mathematics would be bent as the chances of me buying a Hornby Class 90 would go from 0 to somehow less than 0.

I'm another one that would love to see more AC electrics. I have a Heljan Class 86 and would purchase a Class 85 but it is totally the wrong era for me, however good a model it might be. I admire those that purchase models that are not suitable for their needs with the hope that supporting them will lead to models they do require but I do not have that sort of disposable income at present. As I have mentioned in another thread recently I thought the Class 350 was an odd choice of EMU. Don't get me wrong it looks a cracking model but is a relatively new EMU with a relatively limited area of operation. I would have thought other families of DMU/EMU would have been a better choice - Networker based on Bachmanns 166 perhaps? Or the Mk3s based on their excellent Class 150? I also mentioned in that thread that starting with an older family means they can start selling them in old liveries for which they do not need to seek permission, or use the sales of these to subsidise the reduced margins they might see on newer liveries with royalties to be paid. The fact that they have been around for longer means they are more likely to be of use to a greater section of the market as well. What I find even more odd is that Hornby released a brand new and up-to-date Mk3 DVT but doesn't have any locomotives of anything like the same standard to use with it. Surely not even Hornby are this short sighted - they must have had plans for AC electrics when that was approved which perhaps never came to fruition. Similarly they must see that the Class 91 doesn't cut it anymore next to the brilliant HST - and considering they've released ECML HSTs in the form of GNER, East Coast (ex-NatEx) and Swallow livery with ER running numbers they must have expected that the purchasers of those would like a new 225 set to go along with it. I agree with some of the above posters that OHLE may enhance the demand for AC electrics, but as I have mentioned before I think it is far more reasonable to expect those who wish to have AC electrics to run them without catenery, rather than expecting that if catenery was available without locomotives the catenery would somehow spur on the market. Clearly it's absurd both financially and in terms of time to erect catenary on a layout without any AC electric locos, whereas a bit of imagination in the absense of OHLE or a diesel towing an electric loco in an area without knitting is still entirely appropriate (read "easier"). I also agree that it is probable that as the manufacturers run out of new models to make that AC electrics will become the next thing on their list. Let's just hope it's sooner rather than later.

Hi sorry to be demanding, but I just remembered a couple of minor irritations that would be nice to have fixed. The first is when you are selecting a parallel start point, it would be useful if you could hit enter to place the start point. At the moment you just get an error noise. Secondly, when you are using the toolbox, if you select something but then accidentally move your mouse off the toolbox it deselects it, so if you click on a box to write some numbers, and move your mouse off the box the numbers don't get entered. Thanks

Sadly that would be out of my ability so I look forward to seeing your progress

Just for a bit of fun I thought I'd see if I could have a go at the north approach with RTL track - mainly Peco Code 75 with a couple of Shinohara points and their double slip. I don't think it's come out too badly

Can I also add two wishlist features: 1. When a length of flex track is selected it would be useful if at the bottom in the status bar its length was displayed rather than the max length of that sort of flex track,. 2. Custom lists of track pieces. I am using two types of track and switching between them can be a bit of a nuisance sometimes. Thanks again and keep up the good work

Class 60 for me, followed closely by the new tooling HST

I went to the Oxford Street WH Smith today too. It's the one in The Plaza rather than the one in the tube stop. There are still 4 left, all in a rack by the queue for the till. Today the offer was £5 off your next £15 spend and 20% off cards or something. Also - why on earth are you using Norton? I know it's unrelated but please please please don't buy that rubbish. Most nowadays advise AVG or Avast (both free online). Someone mentioned that it says somewhere that an electric locomotive might be on the cards - where is this written and any hints as to what it might be?

hmm only just been alerted to this. for £2.99 it would almost be silly not to buy one. I might use it to spray into Spencer for my nephew.

so what about me who happens to be a petrol head as well and is getting married in August? must be no hope for me then!

pics or it didn't happen

I saw Dorehill St Stevens for the first time at Warley last year. That changed my perception of what "big layout" is. I think a big layout is subjective, as others have mentioned. What is big to an individual could be run of the mill for a club. I think Jim SW's comment that if you can run full length trains then it is probably a big layout. I take this to mean something like a 2+8 HST or a full Pendolino set, or 12 carriage loco hauled train.

I saw a massive rake of cargowagons head through Denmark Hill in 2013

his sig says his current layout is EM. my guess would be that

the photos posted above suggest HST sets as they seem to have a TGS in them.

Found another photo of it at KGX with Mk2Es. Thanks to the contributor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78608810@N05/11188389336 I never realised that it didn't run with Mk4s during BR days

I'd like to know this too. I have 3 rakes of Lima Mk3s that need correcting. To the OP - your work is stunning. I particularly like your TEAs. When mine head to my weatherer I hope you won't mind if I give him photos of yours for inspiration.

I returned to the hobby when I'd been dating my girlfriend (now fiancee) for about a year. Despite not being into southern electrics even slightly it was the Brighton Belle that got the ball rolling and now the bug has well and truly bitten (though I have returned to my old passion of ECML c1990 and BB will probably end up for display). I have spent a considerable amount on stock since, and layout in the planning stages. We don't live together because of work commitments, so thus far I have kept it well hidden. She knows that I take an interest in engineering endeavour and she knows I want a big layout when I have more time and space. Whether I get granted that space is yet to be seen!

In the last year and a bit since I've returned to the hobby I've been to three shows, and watched numerous videos online as well as reading the write ups on here. There are really a lot of fantastic layouts that I've seen and it is difficult to shortlist three, but if I were forced I would say the top three would be (in no particular order): Glendower (featured in BRM but I came to know of it via YouTube) Everard Junction (of YouTube fame) Dorehill St. Stevens (seen at Warley 2013 Special mention would go to Everard Junction and Glebe Road Junction for their helpful instructional videos. Other layouts worth a mention that I've seen would be the under construction Rayvenscliffe (RMWeb), Gresley Beat (seen at Woking 2013) and Gainsborough MRCs ECML recreation (YouTube). Five Elms (YouTube) is a very much up and coming layout that is worth a watch as well. Eastwood Town is another that I am keeping an eye on. My time at university in Birmingham means P4 New Street is a bit of a blast from the past (albeit though it is set in the 80s when I graduated in 2010). The quality of Jim's work in capturing the atmosphere is phenomenal. All inspire me due to the sheer level of skill and volume of work as all are sizeable layouts. I am more modern image than steam which explains Everard Junction, Glebe Road Junction, Five Elms and P4NS but as a Leeds boy ECML is close to my heart and to me when I think of "railway" it is hard to not make a quick association to Flying Scotsman and Mallard - two of the most famous locomotives ever. This is where Gresley Beat and Gainsborough come in. This post has been edited three or four times to add more and more layouts. I told you keeping it to three was hard!

I agree. Purchase 2 new 150s for my 2 Bratchell 319s for £53 each. As far as I can see it's the best way to provide weight for a single car (maybe the chassis off cuts can be used in other cars), a strong all wheel drive and pick up motor, a light kit, plus some spare bodies that hopefully can be sold on and some spare under frame bits to help detail my Hornby Class 153.

Firstly thank you for the drawings. Secondly thank you for the advice. I guess it makes perfect sense, but for rookies like me it isn't obvious until pointed out. I don't think it's practical to release "handed" curved points. As I see it there are 2 solutions: 1. Leave it - I think those that are going into that level of detail may well end up building their own track anyway. 2. Considering that it is fair to assume that true 00 scale track (irrespective of market size) is a specialist product. As a specialist product maybe there could be scope to have a separate section of rail that allows the point to be given handedness. By this I mean that the framework of the point and main running lines on either side are supplied fixed, but one would drop in a section of rail with the attached frog and blade that would allow it to assume handedness. This would mean that a common frame could be mass produced, along with the two possible sections per point. Maybe someone decides at the time of purchase which section they would like so that they aren't supplied extra which would boost the cost. Maybe if the sections could be used in other circumstances (e.g. slips) then it could actually reduce the overall component variation and reduce costs. I am aware that option 2 would move it further away from "ready to lay" but if the section were "drop in" with minimal effort then I feel that it is still in spirit "ready to lay". You're just laying 2 parts instead of 1.

With due respect, if Hattons had sent the correct item in the first place then the buyer would not have needed to purchase peace of mind, as you put it. I feel that when the seller has made a mistake then the seller should pay for that mistake to rectify it. In the case of a £200 steam loco I would not send it by regular post either - I doubt many would. I say this as a very happy Hattons customer. My order from yesterday took less than 24hr by their standard postage.